HBG Big News This Week: May 6-10, 2019

Following is a recap of major news at Hachette Book Group for the week of May 6-10, 2019:

#1 Bestsellers: James Patterson’s new Women’s Murder Club novel, 18th Abduction (LB) debuts at #1 on both the NYT Combined Print & Ebook and the USA Today bestsellers list this week. Overall, HBG has 14 titles on the NYTlist, and our distribution clients have four books on the list this week.

Carol Ross honored: Congratulations to Carol Ross, HBG’s EVP Business Affairs & General Counsel, who was honored with the 2019 Harry Scherman Service Award by the UJA-Federation at their annual gala on Wednesday. The UJA’s publishing division supports the work UJA does to help 4.5 million people in 70 countries around the world each year.ALA Boyd Literary Award: Ray McPadden’s And the Whole Mountain Burned: A War Novel (Center Street) has won the American Library Association’s 2019 W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. The $5,000 award and citation recognizes the service of American veterans and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction.Arthur C. Clarke Award: Tade Thompson’s Rosewater(Orbit) made the shortlist for the 2019 Arthur C. Clarke Award, given to the best science fiction novel whose U.K. edition was published in the previous year. The winning author will be announced July 17.

Locus Awards: Orbit has five 2019 Locus Awards Finalists – Annex by Rich Larson, Elysium Fire by Alastair Reynolds, Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, How Long ‘Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin, and Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson. Winners will be announced in late June.

Orwell Prize: the longlist has been released for the inaugural Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (LB) made the list. Shortlists will be announced later this month, and a winner will be named on June 25.Chronicle & Hachette Audio: Chronicle and Hachette Audio announced a partnership this week, with Hachette Audio producing, selling, and distributing digital audiobook versions of select Chronicle Books titles. Chronicle Audio will launch its first four titles in Spring 2019, after which it will release 10-15 titles per season, simultaneously with the print book releases. This new venture represents the first time that audiobooks will appear as part of the Chronicle Books brand. HBG has been Chronicle’s U.S. distributor since 2008.Movie news: The Hollywood Reporter announced film news for LBYR’s picture book Little Shop of Monsters, by bestselling author R.L. Stine and illustrator Marc Brown (of Arthur fame). Stine and Brown have signed a deal with Splash Entertainment to create animated onscreen content for Little Shop as well as Stine’s Rotten School comedy book series.